Dynamic Duo

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — Danny Walker and Ramsey Touchberry have been friends for 10 years, since they first met at a U.S. Kids Golf qualifier in Orlando as 8-year-olds. It almost seems like they have been playing high school golf for that long too, judging from the eight career individual titles and two state titles they have collected as senior teammates on the Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team.

Walker, the Class 2A state individual champion as a freshman in 2010, will play for his fourth state championship and Touchberry his third when the two-time state champion Mustangs tee off in the Class 3A FHSAA state tournament today, trying to become the first Florida public school to win three consecutive state golf titles.

Staff Photo: Tom Balog

“It’s not something I would have predicted coming into our high school years,” said Touchberry, whose who’s titles include two individual region championships, two Manatee County individual titles and a district individual title.

Having led Lakewood Ranch to four straight district and region championships, and a state 2A runner-up finish as freshmen, the two 18-year-olds who have already accepted Division I scholarships are, based on their records,are likely two of the most accomplished golfers from one class ever to play on an area high school team.

“It can’t be overstated enough, never with two Division I prospects at the same time. That’s really not happened to my knowledge of any team in our area, or at the state level,” said longtime Lakewood Ranch coach Dave Frantz, who has been involved with area high school golf for nearly 30 years. “Especially with the case of Danny and Ramsey, with that being obvious from day one as freshmen.

“There’s been kids who have done well as they’ve progressed, but in Danny and Ramsey’s case, they have been shooting in the low-70s since they were 13 years old. It’s pretty amazing when you actually put it in that perspective.”

The Mustangs’ 284 regional score is the lowest of the 16 teams competing at the Mission Inn Resort, where they won their first state title in 2011.

“We’re all playing pretty well,” Walker said, including the No. 3 through No. 5 players, junior Luke Miller and sophomore twins Kelly and Charlie Sun. “We’ll try to post as low of scores as we can and see where that puts us and not get ahead of ourselves.”

Walker, who will head to the University of Virginia next year on a golf scholarship, said that he and Touchberry, who has committed to Florida, are both driven by competition that supercedes their friendship on the course.

“I don’t think you can tell, because we get along well,” said Walker, who has also won two individual district titles and the Donald Ross Memorial Invitational. “It’s not like we’re ever mad at each other. But we definitely have an inner fire to beat each other.”
“It’s fun to beat each other,” Touchberry said. “But it’s also fun to play together and compete as well.”

They also help each other.

“I’ll stand behind him on the range and tell him you’re doing this or that,” Touchberry said. “He’ll do the same for me. I know Danny’s tendencies and he knows mine. We’re both kind of trained to see that.”

That’s because they’ve been practicing together for so long.

“At that age, it’s hard to find good junior golfers that live close to you, that were as into it as we were, as competitive as we were,” Touchberry said. “We formed a bond playing tournaments and we’ve been friends ever since.”

After graduating, Walker will head to the University of Virginia on a golf scholarship and Touchberry to Florida, having accomplished all they could in high school.

“It’s kind of a bittersweet moment,” Walker said. “We’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of success. It’s our last high school tournament. But we’re also looking forward to moving on to college. Four years has been long enough.”